Kelly drive for rotary drills



Feb. 26, F M. CAPP ET AL KELLY DRIVE FOR ROTARY DRILLS Filed Feb. 25,195o v s sheets-sheet 1 4f um WW MT Il d'1 /b /70 65 y y y Ill Mlm E@ M@Ff/wf /7/ /72 73 70 iiawney.

Feb. 26, 1952 v F. M. CAPP ET AL 2,586,784

KELLY. DRIVE FOR ROTARY DRILLS Filed Feb. 23, 1950 y 5 Sheets-ShedI 2Fay. 5. /4

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Feb. .26, 19.52 F. M. c APP T AL KELLY DRIVE FOR ROTARY DRILLS FiledFeb. 23, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Feb. 26, 1.9152

KELLY DRIVE FORROTARY DRILLS Frank M. Capp and Robert E. Adamson,Michigan City, Ind., assignors to Joy Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh,Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 23, 1950, SerialNo. 145,836

This invention relates to rotary drilling apparatus and moreparticularly to driving means for a sectional kelly or drill rod wherebythe kelly or rod may be driven even when the kelly or rod sections arerandomly coupled together with the driver engaging portions of thesections out of alignment.

In a rotary drilling apparatus, such as a rotary blast hole drill, thedrill bit is usually attached to the lower end of a kelly having adriver engaging portion ofV polygonal cross section and which is drivenby a rotary table mechanism embodying a drive bushing having a polygonalopening for slidingly receiving the polygonal driver engaging portionsof the kelly. In such a drill the kelly or drill rod may be made up insections so that as the hole deepens additional kelly sections arecoupled thereto at its upper end thereby eliminating the need of.pulling the kelly each time a new rod'section is to be added. Ofttimesthe kelly sections are randomly mated with the driver engaging portionsout of alignment so that considerable difficulty has been encountered inpassing the misaligned driver engaging portions of the kelly sectionsthrough the drive bushing of the table. The present inventioncontemplates improvements over known types of rotary drills in that thepolygonal opening in the drive bushing of the rotary table mechanism isso formed and constructed that a sectional kelly may pass freelytherethrough and be driven thereby even when the driver engagingportions of the sections of the kelly are randomly mated and not inexact alignment. The kelly sections have round end portionsV which arethreaded to provide the coupling between the' kelly sections, and thedriver, in accordance with the present invention, is designed so that asthe round sections of the coupling pass therethrough the kelly may bedriven. Also, in a'ccordance'with the present invention, the driver hasa slip bowl ernn bodied therein for receiving slip jaws which may attimes grip and hold the kelly against downward axial movement, and alsoa wrench is provided on the drill for holding the upper kelly sectionagainst rotation while the' adjoining lower section is rotated by thedriver to facilitate coupling and uncoupling of the joints of the kellysections.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved rotarydrilling apparatus especially designed for use in drilling upright blastholesin the earth. Another object is to provide an improved rotarydriving means for the drill rod "or lfzrellyjoafL such an apparatus.Still ,another object 12 Claims. (Cl. Z55-23.2)

2 is to provide in such an apparatus an improved sectional kellyconsisting of a series of kelly sec-- tions which are' coupled togetherin endto'end relation so that as the hole deepens additional kellysections may be added at its upper end thereby eliminatingV the need ofpulling the kelly each time the rod line is to be lengthened as is theconventional practice. A further object is to provide an improved roddriverv which may drive the drill rod or kelly even when the rod orikelly sections are randomly mated with the polygonal driver engagingportions of the sections out of alignment. A still further object is topro-'- vide an improved rod driver having a drive"'p'en-V ing of novelformation whereby the misaliged driver engaging portions of the kelly orrod sections may be driven as the kelly or rod-coupling passes throughthe driver. Yet another object isv of a rotary blast hole drillin whichan illustraf tive form of theinvention is embodied, with parts of thedrill broken away to show structural I with the secondary-driverremoved. f a y Fig. 9 is an enlarged horizontalsection taken Fig. 6 isan enlarged verticalvsection take'nsub-A' stantially on the planeof-line 4(iQ-Bof Fig. 1;*

Fig. 7 is a detail vertical section taken on the plane of line 'l-l ofFig. 6',`showingthe wrench.v Fig. 8 is an' enlarged vertical sectionalview t'aken on the plane of`line"8`-`8 of Fig. 6,' showing details ofthe improved kelly driving meansarrd on the plane of line S-S' of FigQS.

ng. 1o is a horizontall sectiontakenrriie JDM f In this illustrativeembodiment of the invention the improved drill rod or kelly drivingmeans, generally designated I, is shown embodied in a rotary blast holedrilling apparatus generally designated 2, for drilling upright blastholes in the earth. Evidently, the invention may be associated withother types of drilling equipment.

'I'he drilling apparatus may assume various forms but herein generallycomprises a mobile base, desirably a tractor or crawler base 3, having ahorizontal frame 4 carrying an upright frame structure 5. The base frameincludes longitudinal beams 6 which support parallel horizontal plates 1providing the bottom of the upright frame structure 5. The framestructure also includes upright side frame members 8 rigidly connectedat their upper ends by a generally U-shaped cross frame 9. Secured tothe upright frame structure at the inner sides of the frame members 8are parallel vertical retracting cylinders I0 containing reciprooablepistons I I having their piston rods I2 extending upwardly through thepacked top heads I3 of the cylinders. The upper ends of the piston rodsare secured at I4 to yokes I5 which are in turn rigidly connected to theupper ends of parallel connecting rods I6 which extend downwardly alongthe sides of the cylinders as shown in Fig. 1. These connecting rods arerigidly secured at their lower ends to a cross head I1 slidingly guidedon the exterior peripheries of the vertical retracting cylinders I0.Journaled in bearings I8 and suitably supported within cross head I1 isa rotatable thrust sleeve I9 through which a kelly or drill rod 20 isadapted to extend, and this sleeve carries an upper chuck 2| havingconventional slip jaws 22 adapted to grip the kelly when the retractingpistons I I are moved upwardly in their cylinders to elevate the crosshead thereby to raise the kelly with the cross head and chuck. The slipjaws 22 have suitable operating means 23 whereby the jaws may bereleased from their gripping position at the operators will.

In this improved construction, mounted on the base frame between thelower ends of the parallel cylinders I0, as shown i n Fig. 6, is arotary table structure generally designated 25 which includes a tablehousing 216 suitably rigidly secured to the parallel beams of the baseframe. Journaled in bearings 21 within the table housing is a rotarytable 28 which includes a rod driver adapter or drive sleeve 29 to whicha large bevel gear 30 is secured. A bevel pinion 3| meshes with anddrives the bevel gear 33 and this pinion is secured to a horizontalshaft 32 suitably journaled in bearings 33 supported within the tablehousing 26, and this shaft is suitably driven by a drive shafting 34connected to a conventional prime mover mounted on the drill base. Undercertain conditions the drive for the rotary table may be madereversible. The driver adapter or sleeve 29 has an upstandingcylindrical portion 36 which is transversely slotted to provide verticalslots 31 for receiving lugs or lateral projections 38 formed integralwith a rod driver 39. The rod driver has a sleevelike body 40 to thelower portion of which a rod driver bushing 4I is secured as by welding,and the upper portion of the body is desirably secured as by welding tothe upper lugs or projections 38. Secured to the sides of the upperportion of the driver are handles 42 whereby adapter 29.

The kelly or drive rod 20 is of sectional construction and includes aseries of rod or kelly sections 45 having the major portions of theirlengths of polygonal, herein desirably square, cross section, and thesekelly sections have short round end portions 46 which are threaded in aconventional manner to provide a joint or coupling 41 between the kellysections. The kelly sections are coupled in end to end relation and, dueto the threaded joints, are randomly mated so that when the sections arecoupled together their polygonal driver engaging portions are out ofregistry with the corners of the square sections out of alignment. InFigs. 3 and 10 the corners of the polygonal portions of the kellysections are shown out of alignment to the extent of 45 although,evidently, the amount of misalignment may vary between such an eX- tremeand exact registry of the polygonal sections.

When the rod driver 39 is inserted in the adapter sleeve 29 with itslugs or projections 38 fitted in the slots 31 of the adapter, and therotary table is driven through the bevel gearing, the adapter is rotatedtherewith. The upper portion of the adapter has journaled on paralleltransverse horizontal shafts 43, rollers 5i) which back up slip jaws 5Iwhich are adapted to grip the kelly to hold the lower kelly sectionagainst downward movement during coupling of an additional kelly sectionto its upper end. The joint 41 between the kelly sections is, of course,at that time located above the rotary table. These slip jaws 5I haveconventional handles 52 so that they may be readily removed from theadapter. The driver bushing 4I has an opening 53 of novel design forreceiving the kelly sections when the latter are randomly mated withtheir polygonal portions out of alignment. 'Ihis opening is of irregularshape, herein desirably of a so-called clover-leaf cross section, andhas four equally spaced indentationsv or recesses 54 located betweenfour equally spaced driver lugs 55, which have driving surfaces 56 forengaging the plane sides 51 of the kelly. The corners 58 of the squaresection of the kelly lie in the recesses 54 and the latter are of suchlateral extent that when the square portions of the kelly sections areout of alignment as shown in Fig. 10, they still may pass freely throughthe opening of the driver bushing and be drivingly engaged by thedriving lugs. Thus, when the kelly sections are randomly joined togetherwith the corners of the square portion of one kelly section out ofalignment with the square portion of the adjacent kelly section they maypass through and be drivenV by the driver bushing.

At times it is desirable to hold the upper kelly section againstrotation while the adjoining lower kelly section is being rotated by thetable, to couple and uncouple the joint between the adjacent sections.To accomplish this a wrench 50 is pivoted on a horizontal pivot pin 6Isupported by a bracket 62 secured to the U-shaped cross frame 9 at theupper end of the upstanding frame structure 5. This wrench iscounterweighted by an adjustable counterweight 63 which is held inadjusted position to an arm 64 of the wrench by a set screw 65. Thewrench normally hangs downwardly by gravity in an out-of-the-wayposition as shown in Fig. 6 at one side of the kelly, and when it isdesired to hold the upper kelly section the wrench may be swung into theposition shown inFig. 7 to bring the sides 66 of its recess 61 inengagement with the flat sides of the kelly section. The slip jaws 5jmay then be inserted in position within the top of the rod driver tohold the adjoining lower kelly section against downward movement withrespect to the rotary table so that when the table is driven the lowerkelly section may be rotated relative to the stationary upper section tocouple or uncouple the joint. During uncoupling the table must, ofcourse, be reversed.

A secondary rod driver 68 provided with a rectangular body and having ahandle 69, may be placed in the slots 3l of the adapter 29 above the roddrive bushing 4l as shown in Fig. 2, with the sides of the slotsengaging the parallel sides l of the driver 68. The latter has dependingcurved lugs or projections Il which fit down over the cylindrical outersurface of the flange 36 of the adapter to prevent endwise displacementof the driver 68 from the slots. This secondary driver when in drivingposition has the parallel sides 12 of its recess 'I3 engaging opposedparallel flat sides of the kelly. Thus, as the lower kelly sectionpasses down through the driver bushing 4l the secondary upper driver 68engages the upper kelly section to drive the kelly, and when the upperkelly section has moved downwardly into the driver bushing lll thesecondary driver 68 may be removed from the table. In the infrequentevent that the upper kelly section, as it moves downwardly into thedrive sleeve, should have its corners catch on the driver lugs 55, therotary table may be slightly rotated to allow the kelly section to enterthe drive bushing.

As is usual in rotary drilling apparatus of the present character therod line or kelly-may have a conventional elevator and swivel attachedto its upper end and the kelly may be raised or lowered by the cable ofthe conventional draw works of the drill. A usual drill bit is attachedto the lower end of the kelly beneath the rotary table and the kelly orrod line may be lowered by gravity during drilling, as it is rotated bythe rotary table,

under the control of the draw works cable. When the pistons Il are intheir lowered position in the retracting cylinders IU, and it is desiredrapidly to raise the rod line or kelly,the slip jaws 22 of the top chuck2| may be positioned to grip the kelly, and when fluid under pressure issupplied to the lower ends of the retracting cylinders the chuck israised, causing the slip jawsgto grip the kelly, thereby to move thekelly upwardly with the chuck. The slip jaws 5i may be inserted in thedriver of the rotary table to hold the kelly against downward movementthrough the table when the pistons Il are being lowered to bring thechuck downwardly to a new position wherein it may again grip the kellyas the pistons are moved upwardly. Thus, by alternate elevating andholding movements the kelly may be rapidly raised from the drill hole.Both during lowering of the kelly during drilling, and during raising ofthe kelly, the kelly sections, even when their square portions are outof alignment, may pass freely through the irregular shaped opening 53 inthe driyer bushing 4I During lowering of the kelly through the rotarytable during drilling the kelly is continuously engaged by the driverbushing l and the secondary driver 68 so that the drill bit may becontinuously rotated as the kelly slides down through the table underthe iniiuence of gravity. Also, due to the irregular shape of theopening 53 in the driver bushing 4| the kelly may be hoisted up throughthe table by the cable of the draw works of the drill, with the squarekelly portions out of alignment.

..Evdentln the driver engaging portions of the kellysections may be ofvarious shapes in cross' section, or may be splined or luted, and theopening 53 in the drive bushing may be shaped to correspond to the shapeof the kelly, and the driving lugs may be suitably formed to engage anddrive the kelly. Further, the top chuck 2l may b e double acting, sothat the kelly may also be gripped upon downward movement of the chuck,thereby to enable the pistons il to feed the drill bit toward the work.Since such various forms of kelly sections and drive bushings, and sucha reversible chuck, are well known to those skilled in the art furtherdescription and illustration thereof are herein unnecessary.

As a result of this invention, an improved rotary blast hole drillingapparatus is provided whereby a sectional kelly or rod line of polygonalcross section may be rotated by the rotary table of the drill even whenthe kelly sections are randomly mated with the polygonal portions of thekelly sections out of alignment. By the provision of the removablesecondary driver the couplings of the sectional kelly may be movedthrough the rotary table while the kelly is at all times rotatablyengaged and driven. The novel shape of the driver bushing enables freepassage of the misaligned polygonal portions of the kelly sectionsthrough the driver while the plane surfaces of the kelly may bedrivingly engaged by the driver lugs of the drive bushing. By theprovision of the top wrench, the upper kelly section may be held againstrotation while the adjoining lower kelly section is rotated by the tablethereby to enable rapid coupling and uncoupling of joints. These andother advantages of the invention will be clearly apparent to thoseskilled in the art.

While there is in this application specically described one form whichthe invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that thisform of the same is shown for purposes of illustration, and that theinvention may be modined and embodied in various other forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rotary drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a kellyadapted to rotate a drill bit and composed of kelly sections coupledtogether in end to end relation, each kelly section having a driverengaging portion and said sections randomly joined together with saiddriver engaging portions out of alignment, and a rotary driver meanshaving an opening for receiving the misaligned portions of said kellysections and having axially spaced driving portions providing drivesurfaces for respectively drivingly engaging said driver engagingportions of said misaligned portions of said kelly as the latter movesaxially therethrough.

2. In a rotary drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a kellyadapted to rotate a drill bit and composed of upper and lower kellysections coupled together in end to end relation, said kelly sectionshaving driver engaging portions of irregular cross section and randomlyjoined together with said driver engaging portions out of alignment, anda rotary driving means having upper and lower driver elements, saidlower element drivingly engaging the irregular portion of the lowerkelly section and said upper driving element drivingly engaging theirregular portion of the upper kelly section whereby the misaligneddriver engaging portions may be moved axially through the drivingmeanswhile being continuously driven by one or the other of said. drivingelements.

3. In a rotary drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a kellyadapted to rotate a drill bit and composed of kelly sections coupledtogether in end to end relation, said kelly sections each having aportion of polygonal cross `section and said sections randomly coupledtogether with said polygonal portions out of alignment, and a rotarydriving means for said kelly including a driver bushing and havingaxially spaced driving portions providing drive surfaces, one of saiddriving portions comprising spaced lugs on said drive bushing, withrecesses between said lugs whereby said misaligned polygonal portions ofsaid kelly sections may be moved axially through said bushing while one.of said misaligned polygonal portions is engaged by one of said drivingportions of said driving means.

4. In a rotary drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a kellyadapted to rotate a drill bit and composed of upper and lower kellysections coupled together in end to end relation, said kelly sectionseach having a portion of polygonal cross section and said sectionsrandomly coupled together with said polygonal portions out of alignment,and a rotary driving means for said kelly including a driver bushinghaving spaced driving lugs and recesses between said lugs whereby saidmisaligned polygonal portions of said kelly sections may be movedaxially through said bushing while said polygonal portions are engagedby said driving lugs, said driving means also including a secondarydriver for drvingly engaging the polygonal portion of the upper kellysection as the polygonal portion of the lower kelly section movesaxially out of engagement with the driving lugs of said driver bushing.

5. In a drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a rotary tablehaving a central opening, a kelly adapted to rotate a drill bit andmovable axially through said table, said kelly comprising upper andlower kelly sections, having driver engaging portions of irregular crosssection and coupled together in end to end relation, a drive bushingcarried by said table for drvingly engaging the lower kelly section, anda secondary driver carried by said table above said drive bushing fordrvingly engaging the upper kelly section as the lower kelly sectionmoves axially out of said drive bushing.

6. In a drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a rotary tablehaving a central opening, a kelly adapted to rotate a drill bit andmovable axially through said table, said kelly comprising upper andlower kelly sections each having a driver engaging portion of irregularcross section with said sections randomly coupled together in end to endrelation with said driver engaging portions out of alignment, a drivebushing carried by and rotatable with said table for drvingly engagingthe driver engaging portion of the lower kelly section, and a secondarydriver carried by said table above said drive bushing and rotatable withsaid table for drvingly engaging the driver engaging portion of theupper kelly section as the driver engaging portion of said lower sectionmoves axially out of said drive bushing, said drive bushing having anopening for receiving the misaligned driver engaging portions of saidkelly sections and having driving lugs for engaging the driver engagingportion of either section.

'7. In a drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a rotary tablehaving a central opening, a hollow adapter mounted on said table forrotation therewith and carried in said table opening, a kelly driverfitted within said adapter and secured to the latter for rotationtherewith, said adapter having slots at its upper portion and saiddriver having projections received in said slots whereby said driver mayrotate with said adapter while permitting free axial release of saiddriver from said adapter, said driver having a driver bushing adapted toengage a kelly of irregular cross section passing through the table, anda removable secondary driver engageable with the kelly and also tted insaid slots in said adapter.

8. In a drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a rotary tablehaving a central opening, a hollow adapter fitted in said table openingand secured to said table for rotation therewith, a driver insertable insaid adapter and having a releasable connection with said adapter forpermitting axial release of said driver from said adapter, and a kellyadapted to rotate a drill bit and extending axially through said table,said kelly including kelly sections coupled together in end to endrelation and each section having a driver engaging portion and saidsections randomly coupled together with the driver engaging portion ofone section out of alignment with the driver engaging portion of thenext adjacent section, said driver having an opening for receiving themisaligned driver engaging portions of said kelly sections and havingaxially spaced driving portions providing drive surfaces engaging one orthe other of said misaligned driver engaging portions of said kellywhereby the latter may be rotated as it moves axially through saiddriver.

9. In a drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a rotary tablehaving a central opening, a hollow adapter tted in said table openingand secured to said table for rotation therewith, a driver insertable insaid adapter and having a releasable connection with said adapter forpermitting axial release of said driver' from said adapter, and a kellyadapted to rotate a drill bit and extending axially through said table,said kelly including kelly sections coupled together in end to endrelation and each section having a driver engaging portion of irregularcross section and said sections randomly coupled together with thedriver engaging portion of one section out of alignment with the driverengaging portion of the next adjacent section, said driver having anopening for receiving the misaligned driver engaging portions of saidkelly sections and having spaced driving lugs engaging said driverengaging portions of said kelly whereby the latter may be rotated as itmoves axially through said driver, and a secondary driver secured tosaid rst mentioned driver for rotation therewith and disposed above thelatter, said secondary driver adapted to engage the driver engagingportion of the upper kelly section as the driver engaging portion of theadjacent lower section moves axially out of said first mentioned driver.

10. In a drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a kelly adaptedto rotate a drill bit and comprising kelly sections coupled together inend to end relation and each having a driver engaging portion ofpolygonal cross section, said sections randomly coupled together withthe polygonal portion of one kelly section out of alignment with thepolygonal portion of the next adjacent section, and a rotary drivermeans for said kelly for rotating the latter as said kelly moves axiallytherethrough, said driver means having an irregular shaped opening :forreceiving` the misaligned polygonal portions of said kelly sections andprovided with axially spaced driving portions providing drive surfacesfor respectively engaging the polygonal portion of either section.

l1. In a rotary drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a rotarytable through which a kelly is adapted to extend, a kelly adapted torotate a drill bit and comprising upper and lower kelly sections coupledtogether in end to end relation, said kelly sections each having apolygonal driver engaging portion and a round coupling portion, saidcoupling portions when coupled together connecting said kelly sectionswith said polygonal portions of said sections spaced axially apart atadjacent ends by said round coupling portions, said sections randomlycoupled together with their polygonal portions out of alignment, adriver carried by said table and having an irregular shaped openingthrough which said misaligned polygonal driver engaging portions of saidsections are adapted to extend and provided with driving lugs engageablewith said polygonal portions of said kelly sections, and a secondarydriver carried at the top of said table above said first mentioneddriver and engaging the polygonal portion of the upper kelly section asthe polygonal portion of the lower kelly section passes axially out ofsaid rst mentioned driver.

12. In a rotary drilling apparatus, the cornbination comprising a rotarytable through which a kelly is adapted to extend, a kelly adapted torotate a drill bit and comprising upper and lower kelly sections coupledtogether in end to end relation, said kelly sections each having apolygonal driver engaging portion and a round coupling portion, saidcoupling portions when coupled together connecting said kelly sectionswith said polygonal portions of saidnlsections spaced axially apart atadjacent ends by said round coupling portions, said sections randomlycoupled together with their polygonal portions out of alignment, adriver carried by said table and having an irregular shaped openingthrough which said misaligned polygonal driver engaging portions of saidsections are adapted to extend and provided with driving lugs engageablewith said polygonal portions of said kelly sections, a secondary drivercarried at the top of said table above said rst mentioned driver andengaging the polygonal portion of the upper kelly section as thepolygonal portion of the lower kelly section passes axially out of saidrst mentioned driver, and means for detachably securing said secondarydriver to said table whereby said secondary driver may be detached whenthe polygonal portion of said upper section moves downwardly intoengagement with the driving lugs of said first mentioned driver.

FRANK M. CAPP. ROBERT E. ADAMSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,331,309 Wright Feb. 17, 19201,644,470 Greve Oct. 4, 1927 1,734,482 Greve Nov. 5, 1929 2,179,645Spaulding Nov. 14, 1939

